In baseball and softball batting, the grip of the bat employed by the batter's driving hand, which is the hand placed atop the other when gripping the bat, is critical to the successful outcome of a particular at-bat. Baseball and softball batters are often instructed to grip the bat with the driving hand near the fingertips in order to better control the plane and timing of the bat swing, thereby enhancing the ability to make consistent contact and place the batted ball where desired. This is generally a difficult instruction for batters to follow because batters tend to be most comfortable allowing the bat to rest deep in the cradle between the thumb and index finger, a grip commonly known as "throttling," giving a false feeling of improved bat control and greater hitting power.
Additionally, when the bat is throttled and the ball is struck by the end of the bat or by the portion of the bat near the hands, a strong shock is received by the batter's hand. This shock often bruises the bones of the thumb and index finger and the soft cradle of tissue lying between the thumb and index finger. Once a batter's hand sustains such a bruise, the hand becomes more sensitive to further shocks such that the batter may become less aggressive and, accordingly, less effective at the plate.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for an apparatus that encourages a properly oriented bat handle grip that promotes increased hitting production through sound technique and reduced injury risk. Additionally, it is desirable that the apparatus teach and/or condition the batter through repetitive use of the apparatus to properly grip the bat, thereby enabling a consistently employed proper grip with or without subsequent utilization of the apparatus.